North Carolina retailer Silver Bullet Comics has closed its doors, trading its retail front for a warehouse, and will focus exclusively on online sales:
Our hardest lesson of late was to understand our limits. I don’t mean just our ability to successfully grow, but also the limits placed upon us by our health, well-being, and our families. Losing my right-hand man of 8 years, and the Winston Salem store manager, this past month has driven home to us all just how much we have on our plates. Ignoring those limits, as he did, while fulfilling at first, has taken its toll on each of us. Sometimes the cold slap of reality can be hard to shake off.
We have always been blessed with AMAZING customers from the moment we made this dream a reality. The decade has been great to us. The more people we met who shared our passion for comics, the more people we wanted to share our passion for comics with. It has pushed us to continue to grow for years to become the enterprise we are today.
But growth always comes with a price, and it seems that our desire to strengthen the impact we have on the outreach of comics and games required a consistent Herculean effort. One which our backs have borne the brunt of.
In addition to selling comics, their site also includes news and columns on the industry … and shouldn’t be confused with Silver Bullet Comic Books, the comics website that features All the Rage, Beau Smith and Tim O’Shea, among others.
August 2nd, 2007 at 12:44 pm
Seems my leaving right after HeroesCon was a GREAT thing. I was a loyal customer who was getting jerked around a bit by not having my hold list completed. Saw Jenny leave and old problems return. Wonder how much notice they gave those left behind?
In the Winston-Salem, NC area and need a new shop. There is one in Lewisville, but I moved down the road, across from Hanes Mall to Sallefish (I hope I spelled it right) Comics. The are in the Toys ‘R Us shopping center.
August 3rd, 2007 at 1:24 am
I always love the excuses given for closing a comic shop. As practical matter, if the store was operating well and turning a profit they don’t close it. I, obviously, am not privy to their balance sheet but am made curious by this press release.
It also looks like here the people who did the actual work of running a retail store left and the owners didn’t feel like putting forth the effort to remain open.
If you have a good local comic shop, support it and appreciate the help and work of its employees. They often do a very good job of taking care of customer needs despite incompetent, lazy, or uncaring owners.
August 4th, 2007 at 6:11 pm
I read the entire post and as much as I’ve been loyal to Silver Bullet, talking about how good they’ve been to the customers is a joke. They have known for some time they were leaving. My comics that I had on my pull list were not showing up. When I asked, I was told they were just late. I found out they were leaving when I pulled up and saw the store had been cleaned out. I understand if closing was the thing they had to do, but they should have been professional and let people know that they had stopped ordering. Then I would not have been missing a couple weeks of comics. If they had been straight forward I may have stayed with them, but running off in the middle of the night like this, I will make sure I let evryone now what kind of person Alan is and the jokers he had working for him.
August 5th, 2007 at 8:18 pm
Yep, they’re gone, but don’t worry Winston Salem has SSalefish Comics and we’ve got a great reputation for taking care of our customers. No excuses here, just a great comic book store. For the past year and a half, we’ve had our new comics out and pulls done BEFORE we open every Wednesday.
August 20th, 2007 at 6:50 pm
I actually placed an order with them online on July 30, received confirmation that my credit card was charged and the order processed on the 31st, and I still have not gotten any shipping notification nor have I gotten what I ordered. Two emails to their support/feedback addresses have gone unanswered so far. I can’t recommend that anyone do business with them in their online incarnation either… I will update this if I ever receive any response from them.
August 23rd, 2007 at 8:54 pm
I can’t believe this. I moved to a new town and left the only thing I liked about my old town, the comic shop. Now I don’t have a lot of time to go by the comic shops in my new town and the one shop I’ve checked out so far doesn’t have a hold service. So I go online and silver bullet looks good so I start a hold list to get my comics through the mail. Sounds great, right? Wrong. Now I’m in the same boat as inertia; hold list created, order placed and nearly a month after they say comics were shipped, no comics. Anyone recommend a reliable online source for mail order comics?
August 26th, 2007 at 1:11 am
You can check out midtowncomics.com. I’ve ordered from them several times and only had one problem that was resolved that same day. There’s also Lonestar Comics at mycomicshop.com or milehighcomics.com.
August 28th, 2007 at 11:00 am
I’m in the same position as herm and Inertia. Comics ordered on 8/3, credit card charged on 8/5, and no shipping notification or response to emails since. Anybody got ideas for gettin my money back?
August 28th, 2007 at 7:01 pm
File a chargeback with your credit card company for goods not delivered. Most credit card issuers will get your money back.
August 30th, 2007 at 9:08 am
I was charged $20.70 for setup and then @25.51 for first order. NEVER RECEIVED IT and could not leave message and never got response from eight emails to three different email addresses and two posts to private inbox on their forums. NON-EXISTENT customer service. STAY AWAY – VERY FAR AWAY! I just contacted my bank about getting my $46 back.
September 14th, 2007 at 6:32 pm
Everyone, thanks for the advice. I placed an order in early AUG, and have not received either my merchandise nor any response to my e-mails. I will DEFINITELY file a chargeback with my bank, and possibly report this company to the BBB and/or SAG office.
October 4th, 2007 at 5:00 pm
I too am looking for an order I placed on July 1. They initially told me one item was backordered and now dozens of emails to 4 addresses have gone unanswered. I filed a complaint with BBB but that hasn’t helped either. Something like 9 complaints in the past 12 months. THIEVES!!!!!
October 5th, 2007 at 1:39 pm
Unfortunately, complaining to the BBB usually only helps other customers know that it’s not good to do business with that particular business. So, it’s good that you did it, but it won’t help your particular cause any if the business chooses not to respond to your complaint.
If you’re still due product, file a chargeback with your credit card company. Unfortunately, if you used any other method of payment (cash, check, money order), it might be a little harder to get your money back.
October 16th, 2007 at 6:33 pm
Has anyone tried filing a theft report with the police for theft of services. I ordered stuff from their online website as well, over a $100 worth. Site says two things were shipped, but have never recieved either item. Other stuff is just languishing in limbo. I have thought about calling the police in North Carolina and filing a theft of services report and pressing charges.
October 20th, 2007 at 5:17 pm
you can contact the north carolina attorney general’s office.
http://www.ncdoj.com/consumerprotection/cp_complaints.jsp
October 20th, 2007 at 10:42 pm
update – I filed a complaint with paypal and received a refund from SBC within hours. the paypal email addy for SBC is bjones61 at triad.rr.com . ‘at’ is spelled out here to foil address harvesters. do the obvious.
October 23rd, 2007 at 10:29 pm
not 10 min from Silverbullet or Ssalefish 421 N EXIT 244 JUST PASS THE OLD LEWISVILLE MILL IS THE BEST SHOP IN THE TRIAD AND HAS BEEN FOR OVER 5 YEARS. BUYING,SELLING SILVER AGE TO CURRENT COMIC BOOKS & COMIC RELATED ITEMS.15 % OFF SUBSCRIPTIONS,LOTS OF PARKING 336.945.0883
December 28th, 2007 at 7:35 pm
Just got me. Ordered on Dec. 5, accepted payment on Dec 7, never shipped anything. I just did some online investigating and came across this thread. Currently in the process of filing a claim with Paypal.
January 3rd, 2008 at 11:18 pm
That’s a long 10 minute drive, Tim!
January 10th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
Well, it’s over a month since I was told that my refund was being dealt with, but still no sign of the cash. Do not believe what these guys say, they are never true to their word.
February 7th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Yeah, I’ve been hearing more of the same over the past few weeks.
Also, someone should bill Classic Comics for the “FREE” ad. I heard they are wholesaling the newly reopened Silver Bullet Comics- gee, I hope Diamond doesn’t have a problem with that.
April 5th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
I’ve dealt with most of the local comic stores including SilverBulletComics(their still open in Kernersville not hard to find for people who can read).Myself if I had a problem with Allen I’d go there and talk to him how hard is it unless you don’t actually have any problems with him.No Bret, Tim’s shop isn’t much more than 10 min’s from your shop unless you go all the backroads.clixtruth I’d be careful speading rumors like that might get you in trouble or did the local gossiping old hen(no name) ask you to say that,who knows maybe your him under an alias. It really gets me how people can bad mouth people online but haven’t got the nerve to say crap to their face.There is plenty of good comic stores in the Winston area 1 I consider not course he knows who he is and I told him to his face what he could do with his shop.To name a few Classic Comics,Empire,Acme,Parts unknown,then there is Bret.Well I’m getting off the old soapbox.Everyone have a good day and hey buy comics and read.
April 5th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
sorry it’s alan not allen
July 20th, 2008 at 7:34 pm
What’s your real name, sirs?
A. Issac
B. Jay
C. Richard
D. Bret
E. afterbirth
June 12th, 2009 at 10:18 am
My real name is Eddie and yeah Bret knows who I am whats your real name clixtruth Bret?